Preservation of food products



tph t hh l to th h hhh ti h Patented Apr. 24,1951

Lloyd B. Jensen, Chicago, Ill. and William A. Miller, Manhattan, Kans., assignors to Swift 8; Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois No Drawing. Application December 27, 1948,

Serial No. 67,558

1 he res nt nt n relate he the h hha a- H9 an s o n a b otic hhst he antim cr b al h S hhh'e hlaht 5 h n e n on empla es th an antibiotic substance naturally assoe i tad with t u of h Pl n-t Bat 11- a 6 h m hl l- 1 115.; hhh hh he hav found a he la yie d e h ih tih $1 k)- stance of great potency as hereinafter more fully 10 described.

Therefore, an object of the present invention i to p v h pbteht. hh ibih i shbstahc ,of plant origin,

A h r with? O he i e ti n is e pr vid an a h htih hh sie hh h h is hhht hih t humans. I

An additional object of the invention is to provide an antibiotic substance which isheat stable.

Another object of the invention is to employ tion, the finely cut or ground: spring ai ensf plant is treated with a suitabl organic solvent, The acetone layer .containing such as acetone. the constituents of the plant tissue soluble there'- in is separated from the acetone-insoluble fi.

brous mass, the acetone removed therefrom, and

th x a h uh i a a i hhhhthhhh a ethanol.

The h w hh am e llh teh e h efhh b me f th .ihrehhhm d he t s tal 6 hhim 99745 bacteria.

h thhhxah hle- X M-LE 0 ram of the hh ihe ev ns p a were anelyer nd- Thee: '51 plah wa h ah din a 5. and .ce ehed I? cet he- T fi 3. 3; Wh hel at r om temherat. e a prhihiha e 5 8 hours and shaken at intervals. The acetone a r conta n n t ac tq hq u-b e e hs theh o th sp evens sepa ted t i so b materia b .fil rat eh. n t acetphe wa sti le .ofi a 2 C- "Iih residue ta 1.1 he in th l alcohol o tha 1 ml .Q he a cohol e t a t hehta hed the a etqnezshlh le mate ia in 3 rams of the ant In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the antibiotic material in the alcohol solution obtained in accordance with the example, the following test was performed:

serial'dilutions of the"extract were made in cc. broth'tubes and the tubes inoculated with Each 10' ml. of the broth tube contained approigimately 75,000 cells of a food poisoiling strainfof Staphylococcus au'r'us; Clos'trisporoge nes, Bacillus m'ger, 4ch rgmobacter pexolens, and"P'eniciZZium notatu'm. The tubes tab e a tabulated t .reh t n ta hed wit t @fqr idp a t vv ,5 ant t e ma v able bac er a The data given in the above table indicate that the antibiotic effects of the spring avens plant extract vary in potency when tested against different organisms. Thus, the extract kills Staphylococcus in dilutions of 1 to 2000 and Bacillus m'ger and Clostridium sporogenes in dilutions as high as 1 to 500. The bactericidal properties of the extracts lethally effective dilutions indicated for the various organisms were demonstrated by inoculating nutrient agar plates with 0.1 cc. of the aforesaid dilutions which had been allowed to incubate for days. After 3 days incubation of the inoculated plates, no .viable bacteria were observed as a result of the transfers.

4, ing the quality and keeping time of various food products by refrigeration, canning, curing, plant sanitation, etc., the problem of preservation of food requires the constant attention of the food processor to improve long-established methods of treating food and to devise new means of food control.

Food spoilage is due primarily to microbial action, and the species of microorganisms responsible for food deterioration are numerous. The sporing genera, Clostridium and Bacillus, for example, when contaminating food, cause food spoilage. Another serious concern of the food handler is food poisoning, which is often of an Although acetone is the preferred primary l5 insidious nature because food products may be solvent, we have found that other organic solcontaminated with one or more of th harmful vents are suitable as the extracting solvent. For bacteria referred to herein and yet appear orexample, dioxane, ethyl acetate, methyl ethyl keganoleptically sound. Among the food poisoning tone, and ethanol may be used. We have also bacteria, the most common food poisoner is found that a water extraction of the antibiotic Staphylococcus. material to be only slightly effective as an anti- The antibacterial substance of the present inbiotic because of the proteinaceous material disvention may be used to retard or prevent microsolved therein. bial growth in various food products, all of which The heat stability of the antibiotic material tend to harbor pathogenic organisms in varying was determined by boiling portions of the said degrees. The antibiotic material disclosed herematerial for minutes, as indicated in Table II, and then inoculating with about 40,000 Staphylococcus cells per milliliter. After incubating the material at a temperature of approximately 75 F. for 7 days, the lethal potency was 1:2000. 30

in, therefore, may advantageously be employed, for example, in treating meat products, such as hams, sausages, and canned meats; filled pastries, such as cream pulfs, chocolate eclairs, custards, and the like; and canned vegetables to Table 11 Time Dilutions in Broth Time and Temp. Held cubation Days 200 500 1, 000 2,000 5,000 10,000 Control 1 60 0., 15 minutes 2 5 1 90 0., 1.5 minutes 2 5 1 96 to 100 0., 3.5 minutes fig. i

It is obvious that many variations in th solvent treating process may be advantageously employed. For example, since the antibiotic material isolated from the spring avens plant is heat stable, solvent temperatures may range from prevent swelling due to organisms, such as the genus Bacillus.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following description of methods of using the antibiotic substance.

room temperature to boiling temperature of the As hereinbefore mentioned, we have found that solvent, with consequent variations in extraction the antibiotic reag here n described is lethal time. The higher the temperature, generally the to a number of microbes in a 1 to 500 dilution of less time is required forextraction. Moreover, t e e tract, the extract being of such stren th the extraction process may be carried out in one that 1 ml. of the alcoholic solution thereof constep, for exam ne, ith th or it mixture tained the acetone-soluble constituents in 3 of solvents. We have found it preferable to procgrams o root. There o e, t e a d of 1 P ess ;the antibiotic substance contained in the r 0f the 50111171011 to 500 Parts Of the t o al pring avens" plant b twotage Solvent prom. pickling solution will result in a meat product ess involving treating the substance with a pricured therewith which has a Very marked mary solvent which is Substantially removed, and crease in resistance to the development of pathothen taking up the resulting extract with another genlc Orgamsmssolvent so as to form a solution, which is a con- The following is an a ple of a curing pickle Venient form f using the product We have stock which may be used in a process for quick foundthat acetone is a very effective primary curmg hams when provided with antibiotic sub- Solvent in producing the antibiotic Substance stance in the proportions outlined above. That fro the plant tissue, After evaporating ff the is, the antibiotic substance is added in an amount acetone, the preferred solution is made with a' W as to effect a 1 to 500 dilution of the anticarrier solvent, Such as ethanol, which may e biotic material of the arbitrary strength herein consumed internally without harm. By using descnbed, (1 of root)- ethyl alcohol, We also utilize its weu known To 100 gallons of a 90 Salometer solution there properties, such as nontoxicity and ability to prevent contamination.

In the processing of food products, a serious ,7

problem is the preservation thereof; and although great strides have been made in improvare added:

7 lbs. sodium nitrate 10 oz. sodium nitrite 20 lbs. sugar 378.5 cc. antibiotic solution Luncheon meat was cured according to conventional methods in which the antibiotic substance was present in a 1 to 500 dilution. The meat product was placed in six 6-pound cans and retorted to an inside temperature of 155 F. and incubated at 99 F. After 30 days of incubation noswelling of the cans could be observed.

7 The control cans swelled in oneweek.

A further example of the utility of the antibiotic material is their use in a cream filling for various pastries. To determine the efiectiveness, a standard cream filling used in eclairs was inoculated with a bacterial solution containing 100,000

6 V growth of pathogenic bacteria responsible for f ood spoilage and poisoning in the meat is substantially retarded.

3. In the process of preparing pastries containing fillings subject to spoilage by pathogenic bacteria, the step of adding to the said filling a living Staphylococcus aureas S-l per 100 ml. and

the filling incubated at a temperature between 75 F. and 80 F. The results of the tests'are given in Table III.

The foregoing tests indicate that the antibiotic preparation exerts a pronounced inhibiting action against th Staphylococcus aareas in cream fillings.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the invention as hereinbefore set forth may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore only such limita tions should be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

' We claim:

1. In the process of treating food products, the step of adding to a food product a small amount of an alcoholic solution of antibiotic substance derived from the plant Geum oemum to preserve said food product against pathogenic bacteria responsible for food poisoning and spoilage.

2. In the process of quick curing meats, wherein a pickling solution is injected into said meat, the step of adding to said pickling solution a small amount of the antibiotic substance derived from the plant Geum vemum by treatment with a non-aqueous organic solvent whereby the small amount of the antibiotic substance derived from the plant Geum vernum by treatment with a non-aqueous organic solvent whereby the growth of athogenic bacteria is substantially retarded.

4. A meat pickle including a small amount of an antibiotic substance derived from the plant Geam v ernam by treatment with a non-aqueous organic solvent.

5. A cream filling for pastries including a small amount of an antibiotic substance derived from the plant Geam cernam by treatment with a non-aqueous organic solvent.

6. In the process of treating food products, th

step of adding to a food product a small amount of an antibiotic substance derived from the plant Geum vernum by treatment with a non-aqueous organic solvent to preserve said food product against pathogenic bacteria responsible for food poisoning and spoilage.

LLOYD B. JENSEN.

WILLIAM A. MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: V

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 469,850 Chesebrough Mar. 1, 1892 2,084,864. Paddock June 22, 1937 2,098,110 Schertz et al Nov. 2, 1937 2,117,478 Hall May 17, 1938 2,180,750 Urbain Nov. 21, 1939 OTHER REFERENCES ,Nature, May 13, 1944, vol. 153, page 598, article entitled Antibacterial Substances in Green Plants.

Chemical and Engineering News, September 1945, page 1622, article entitled Penicillin as a Preservative. v

The American Womans Cook Book, 1945, by

Ruth Berolzheimer, published by Consolidated Book Publishers, Chicago, page 475. 

1. IN THE PROCESS OF TREATING FOOD PRODUCTS, THE STEP OF ADDING TO A FOOD PRODUCT A SMALL AMOUNT OF AN ALCOHOLIC SOLUTION OF ANTIBIOTIC SUBSTANCE DERIVED FROM THE PLANT GEUM VERNUM TO PRESERVE SAID FOOD PRODUCT AGAINST PATHOGENIC BACTERIA RESPONSIBLE FOR FOOD POISONING AND SPOILAGE. 